Quick Peek...

I've been REALLY bad about blogging, so instead of staying behind, I decided I'd throw some photos up real quick, mainly because Grandparents back East deserve to see updated photos of their grandkids (yes, this is for you Mom and Dad!).

Back to School 2012

Homecoming

Jessie went with a few of her girl friends.

Halloween

Ben's Arrow of Light Ceremony

Tuesday evening, Ben had his Arrow of Light and Crossing Over into Boy Scouts Ceremony.  He actually completed the requirements in February, right before he turned 11, but his pack wasn't able to do the ceremony until this month.  Below are some photos my friend took for us.  We're very proud of Ben for achieving this award.  It is the highest award you can earn in Cub Scouts and the only Cub Scout award that you can wear on your Boy Scout uniform.  Congratulations, Ben!!!

Proud parents...  As you can see, Ben is already dressed in his new Boy Scout uniform.  No more navy blue Cub Scout shirt for him!

Ben's Webelos Leader talking about the meaning of the Arrow of Light symbol and the things he's achieved since joining Cub Scouts.

Ben pinning my Mother's Pin on me.

Congratulating Ben on his achievement and after signing his name to the 'crossing over' bridge that all the boys in our pack who've earned the award have signed.

After Ben crossed over the bridge from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, met by his new Scout leader and fellow scouter.  Ben's previous Cub Master gave Ben a homemade walking stick signed by all the Cub Scouts and leaders and a firestarter to start building his Boy Scout camping/hiking gear. 

Ben is 11!

Well, before we new it, it was Ben's birthday.  He didn't want to do anything big, so he invited his best friend over after school, they played, we had pizza and dessert, and then I took all the kids to the new bouncey house place here in town to run, jump and play for two hours.  It was a lot of fun.  I even tried out the slides! 

Here's Ben's half of the cake from the combined family party.  Cake with basketball cake pops.

Ben's actual birthday.  Cake pops were requested again, but he said I didn't have to make them look like basketballs again (thanks!).

 At Jump, Rattle and Roll...Ben

 Jessie and Abby

 Cherie and Abby

 Abby jumping

 Ben goofing off

 Josh

Things about Ben:
1.  Basketball is his passion - he's either outside shooting hoops, shooting hoops on his mini hoop downstairs in the entryway, shooting hoops with his mini nerf hoop in his room, playing basketball on the Wii, watching basketball on tv, or drawing basketball players. 
2.  He loves to draw. He asked for a gift card to the local craft store for his birthday so he could buy art supplies. He asked for a Boogie Board for his birthday (which is a semi-electronic drawing pad). He asked for the Wii UDraw tablet and games for his birthday.
3.  He earned his Webelos badge in Cub Scouts this year.
4.  He earned his Religious Knot in Cub Scouts this year.
5.  He earned his Arrow of Light Award (the highest award in Cub Scouts, the only patch he'll get to still wear on his Boy Scout uniform) this year.
6.  Ben is very good at keeping track of time. He likes to be on time to his activities.  I don't have to remind him when it's time for the bus in the morning.  He comes home on time, when he goes to the park or to play with friends in the neighborhood. Keep it up, Ben!
7.  Ben is still tall for his age.  He is 5' 1.25" tall, in the 95th percentile for his age.
8.  I love Ben's hugs when he's up late and is tired.  It reminds me of when he was a little boy, cuz I certainly don't get it much any other time.  
9.  Ben and Abby have a really cute relationship.  Ben is very sweet to her, helps show her how to do special basketball moves, enjoys her company when he's in his room drawing, etc.  It's fun to watch.
Happy Birthday, Ben!  We love you! 

1-2-3-4-5, Yep, Abby is 5

It's still hard to believe sometimes that it's been five years since my last baby was born.  I can't say that I miss being woken up severel times each night to feed a newborn, change diapers all day long, and have to worry about nap schedules.  I loved it when all my kids were young and it was just part of life.  Now that I have a teenager, preteen, almost 8-year old, and now a 5-year old that'll be in kindergarten next year, I enjoy sleeping through the night (most of the time), being able to go where I want without much preparation, and having my children (for the most part) be happy and well behaved whereever we are.  The older ages have their own challenges, but I love this stage of life and I'm very much enjoying my children and watching them continue to grow and develop.  I love their individual personalities.  I love their inquisitive minds.  I love their creativeness.  I also love their friendship. 

Here are some photos from Abby's birthday.

Abby's new ballet clothes for her beginner ballet class.  She got these early, because class started a week before her birthday.

 The big day!

 Ben was so sweet, helping her try on her new super furry slippers.

 The crew.

 She requested cake pops.

A few days after Abby's birthday, we had an extended family birthday party for Abby and Ben (who's birthday is coming very soon.  Stay tuned for photos of his big day.)

Abby requeted that her half of the cake be Hello Kitty.  Ben's half is basketball (made with cake pops).

Things about Abby, now that she is 5:

1.  She is in the 97th percentile for height. She is taller than all the other kids her age that we know. 

2.  Loves her ballet class and she is doing quite well.

3.  Knows all her alphabet and their sounds, can read simple words (cat, hop, hen, etc.), can count to about 30. Loves preschool and is definitely ready for kindergarten in the fall.

3.  Loves toys animals, especially cats and dogs.  She still loves to dress up in her cat costume from Halloween and be a cat for the day.

4.  She loves swimming.  She does really well swimming with her face in the water to get where she wants to go.  We'll continue to work on that, especially since we're hoping to get to "The Lake" this summer.

5.  She loves LEGOs.  She has gotten a few of the LEGO Friends (geared specifically for girls) sets for her birthday and she put one of the medium sized sets together all by herself.

6.  She is still a night owl (for a 5-year old).  Apparently she just doesn't need as much sleep as her siblings.

7.  She loves all things crafty.  In my opinion, she draws really well for her age.

8.  She is now able to tie her shoes.

9.  Other things she has leared this past year:  ride a two-wheeler bike, pump herself on the swing, and cross the monkey bars. 

10.  I love Abby's giggle right now.  She can get really giggley at times, especially when she's playing around with Daddy, and it makes me laugh listening to her.

Abby you are very loved by our family.  We love having you as a daughter and sister.  Happy 5th Birthday!

Orange and Black Day Fun

On their last day of spirit week, Ben and Josh were able to  (thanks to Jessie) get all decked out for their Black and Orange day, in honor of the High School.